A Russian drone entered Romanian airspace early Friday after Moscow launched fresh strikes on Ukraine. The drone crashed into an apartment building in the city of Galati, causing a fire and injuring two people.
Romanian authorities said radar tracked the drone from the Ukrainian border into Romania. Military officials said the drone remained inside Romanian territory for around four minutes.
Romania’s Defence Ministry said this was the first recorded drone strike on a residential building in the country. Two F-16 fighter jets were scrambled to monitor drone activity near the border.
Romania strongly condemned the incident, calling it a serious and irresponsible Russian provocation and a violation of international law and Romanian airspace. The country has summoned Russia’s ambassador and is considering further diplomatic measures.
NATO, the European Union, the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Poland and Finland condemned the incident and reaffirmed their support for Romania. NATO said it will further strengthen defenses against drone threats, while EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen stated that the EU is preparing its 21st sanctions package against Russia.
Romanian military officials said drones briefly entered Romanian airspace at very low altitudes, making detection difficult. They also acknowledged that air defense measures deployed near Galati did not perform effectively during Friday’s incident.
Romania’s government announced it will soon sign a contract to acquire a new anti-drone defense system. Officials also urged NATO to speed up the delivery of additional counter-drone capabilities.
Ukraine backed Romania and offered support to strengthen defenses. President Zelensky said Ukraine is ready to assist Romania by any necessary means, while Romanian leaders pledged not to accept any spillover from Russia’s war affecting Romanian citizens.
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